SpaceX has officially announced the Starlink satellite Internet service for aviation, which promises to provide speeds of up to 350 Mbps for each aircraft. Delta CEO Ed Bastian admitted earlier this year that the airline had conducted “trial runs” of Starlink Internet technology for its aircraft. Hawaiian Airlines announced it would begin implementing Starlink Internet on “select” planes around 2023.
Shortly after that and following the launch of Starlink for RVs, the Federal Communications Commission authorized the company to provide vehicle satellite Internet services.
Starlink Aviation should be available worldwide as long as the aircraft equipped with its air terminals have an unobstructed view of the sky. The service’s satellites travel in low earth orbit, so they will always be accessible. SpaceX claims that passengers will have constant access to the Internet whether the plane is over land or water.
The service will initially be available for some aircraft, but the company plans to develop support for more planes in the future. SpaceX plans to begin shipping Starlink Aviation Aero Terminal kits in 2023, so the first airlines to offer the service as an in-flight WiFi option will likely announce it in the coming months.
